


Parallel World

by NanakiBH



Category: Final Fantasy XV, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Friendship, Gen, Paopu Fruit, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-22
Updated: 2015-04-22
Packaged: 2018-03-25 05:15:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3798097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NanakiBH/pseuds/NanakiBH
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The world disappeared, but a new one broke his fall.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Parallel World

**Author's Note:**

> I imagined one scene in which Noctis's group shares a paopu fruit and somehow it turned into this. I really hope that Noctis & Co. are in Kingdom Hearts III.

Falling... Falling...

He thought he was dreaming. The last thing he remembered was falling asleep next to the others in their tent. All of a sudden, without even realizing, his eyes were open again and he was staring at the sky. The stars felt like they were becoming farther and farther away until their light blinked out in the distance. The ground beneath him was gone and bits of the world crumbled around him and were sucked into the darkness. Realizing that it was no simple dream, he reached out for the stars that were already gone and well outside his grasp. Shaken by a terrible feeling, he looked around but found none of his friends beside him as he fell.

Fearing how he might be awoken from this vivid nightmare, he closed his eyes and awaited the impact. Yet, as though being cradled by the hand of Ramuh, he was gently lowered and placed upon solid ground.

As his ears were met by the soft sound of waves, he tentatively opened his eyes. The stars had returned, but they looked different somehow. Their light was the same, but they weren't his stars. It was an absurd thought, but something inside him felt absolutely positive. Looking around carefully, he noticed that the sun was still setting, going down over the waves that gently pulled in at the nearby shore.

Was he... Had he died?

Had he gone to the other side of the shore in his sleep?

More than his confusion, he felt worried about what would become of the others without him. They needed him, and... He already felt alone without them. What would become of the kingdom, too? This wasn't the time to die. This had to be a trick or some kind of illusion.

Maybe his visions were becoming more real...

He forced himself to stand on his tired and sluggish legs and took his first few steps toward the shore. The water reflected the pink and purple light of the sun, and the waves stretched out infinitely, going farther than he could see. It was intimidating, realizing that he was in a place surrounded by nothing but water for miles, but it was also beautiful. Just like when he lived inside the walls of the kingdom, he didn't feel trapped at all, but, now knowing that there was more beyond, he felt anxious, like he needed to get out.

He had to find the others.

Continuing to walk along the shore, he found a tree house. There was a light inside, flickering, like that of a candle. At least he knew that he wasn't alone. There were other people in this place. It was just a small cabin, though. It wouldn't feel right to ask if he could stay there for the night.

As the light faded and night approached, he continued to search. There didn't appear to be any monsters, but he knew that Prompto couldn't handle being alone. Gladio might be alright on his own, but Ignis had to be worrying about him. He didn't want to make them worry. He didn't want to be a burden to any of them.

A small voice inside of him told him that he could have done better to carry his own weight.

Eventually, he returned to the treehouse. Rather than go inside, he found a bridge that led him to a small island with a tree. It was bent in an unusual way, like it was offering him a seat. Muttering his thanks to no one, he sat down on its bent trunk and stretched out a hand, reaching for one of its fruits. It almost fell into the water, but he caught it just in time. Once he had it in his hands and had a good look at it, he realized that it was shaped like a perfect star. A couple little green leaves poked out of its points. He was hungry, but something made him hesitate before taking a bite of it.

“Hello?”

A curious young voice caused him to turn around. Getting off of the tree, fruit still in hand, he turned to face the stranger. The person was dressed normally in a light, summer uniform, but its blue plaid pattern didn't seem familiar. Nothing about this place felt familiar.

“Are you alone?” the boy asked.

Maybe. He wasn't sure yet. He hadn't finished looking for them, but night was coming, and he needed to find a place to stay. It would be impossible for him to search in the dark, and he didn't even know what kind of place this was once night came.

Taking his silence as an answer, the boy just nodded. “You aren't from here, are you?”

He didn't know who this boy was, but there was something different about him. Closing his eyes for a moment, he could sense a tremendous, powerful, gentle light emanating from him. He'd never seen a soul so bright. For a second, it made him forget how to breathe.

“I'm Sora,” he said, extending a hand in greeting.

“I'm...” Normally, he wouldn't have accepted this type of greeting, but the boy seemed kind. That light felt like one he could trust without question. “I'm Noctis.”

He clasped his hand with his free one and they shook.

Putting his hands on his hips, Sora smiled at him with a wide smile, looking both amused and a little confused about whatever was going on. “I could be wrong, but you look like you might be friends with Leon and the others. Uh... Am I wrong?”

That name didn't sound familiar, unfortunately, so Noctis shook his head. “No... Sorry, I don't think I know anyone by that name. I am sort of looking for some friends, though. Have you seen anyone else around here lately? There's a short one with blond Chocobo hair, a serious one with glasses, and a real big guy who's covered in tattoos.”

Sora thought for a moment, tapping his shoe in the sand. “I do know a guy with Chocobo hair, but I wouldn't call him short. Can't say I've seen anyone who fits those descriptions recently. I only noticed you because I spotted you from the treehouse.”

“I... see.”

He was just going to have to keep searching.

“Do you want me to help you look for them?” Sora asked, beaming, ready to jump at his word. His stupidly bright smile reminded him of someone, but Noctis couldn't help seeing a little bit of himself in him. Though he didn't want to bother Sora with his problem, he was glad that there was someone else there who would be concerned enough about him to help him look for them.

“I'll be fine,” he said, watching as his answer ate away at Sora's enthusiasm. “If they're around here, I'm sure I'll find them eventually. This place doesn't seem all that big.”

Sora toed at the ground. “This island is pretty small, but... Are you sure?”

“It's fine. If I need you, will I find you at that treehouse?”

“I won't be here for much longer. I'm going to take a boat back to the main island pretty soon. My parents are already probably wondering where I am, and I think I've worried them enough lately,” he said, giving a sigh. Noctis understood that feeling. “Do you want to come back to the main island with us when we leave?”

It sounded like Sora wasn't the only one in that treehouse. “Nah. I'm going to stay here. If my friends are here, I think I should stay where they can find me. This tree seems like a nice place.”

That was something Sora agreed with, but he didn't seem to be sold on the idea of him staying there by himself. He gave him a very concerned look. “Are you sure you'll be okay here in the dark? There aren't any Heartless on the island, but it's going to be dark and creepy. You can use the treehouse if you wan-”

“I'll be fine,” Noctis said, once again having to refuse his offer. It was enough just knowing that he wasn't alone. He had no idea what a 'Heartless' was, but it probably couldn't be any worse than a behemoth, and the dark didn't bother him at all – good for sleeping, at least. “We're really good at camping,” he explained.

“Good at... camping...?” Sora repeated, bewildered by his answer. “What kind of world do you come from?”

“So this _is_ a separate world.”

As if he realized that he'd said something he shouldn't have, Sora placed his hands over his mouth. “Y-yeah. Try not to worry, though. For you to have wound up here, I think that means that your world is probably still safe somewhere. You might've gotten pulled here for a reason, though. What were you doing back in your world?”

If Sora knew this much about the existence of other worlds, then it was probably safe to tell him about the world he came from. Sora wasn't a part of his world, so it didn't matter whether he revealed his identity to him. “I'm trying to retrieve the crystal that was stolen from my kingdom. My friends are helping. I have my family's power, but... Without my friends, I don't think I'd be able to do it on my own. That's why I absolutely need to find out if they're here. I don't know how I'm supposed to return to my world from here, but I can't go back without them.”

“Your kingdom...” Sora jumped back in surprise. “Are you a king?”

“N-no. My father is the king.”

“So you're a prince then. You don't look much like a prince to me, but I like your priorities. Your friends are your treasure, aren't they?” he asked.

It was weird. He only just met this boy, but it was like Sora really understood him. It might've had something to do with that exceptional light within him. He was a very perceptive boy.

Sora startled him with a pat on the shoulder. Breaking into Noctis's personal space, he grabbed the hand that held the fruit and lifted it up. “Since these friends sound really important to you, I'll tell you something my friend told me once. If you share one of these paopu fruits with someone, your destinies will be entwined forever. When you find your friends, you should share this with them. Then I'm sure you'll never lose them again.”

“Uh... Yeah. Th... Thank you.”

Was this fruit really something that special? He did have an odd feeling about it when he first held it. Maybe it really did have some kind of special power.

A familiar voice came to them through the darkness, calling Sora's name. Noctis looked up immediately, but the approaching shadow didn't look like the person he expected. As he came closer, Noctis realized that it was just another boy who appeared to be around Sora's age. Noctis had never seen him before in his life, but the worried scowl on his face was nearly the same... The similarity was eerie.

“Who's this?” the boy asked. He stared directly at him. He had dark eyes, but they were strong. “Something wrong?”

Slowly, Noctis shook his head. It was uncanny. “No... Sorry. You just... sound a lot like someone I know.”

Even as Sora explained his situation to this newcomer, he continued to stare suspiciously. Sora introduced him as Riku, his best friend. (That was what he said, but the way he said it seemed to indicate that they were something more than that.) Once Riku realized that Noctis wasn't there to harm the island and had no business with Sora, he looked satisfied and stopped glaring at him. In fact, he actually seemed a lot nicer once he realized that Sora was alright with this stranger.

The longer he stayed in their presence, the more Noctis began to wonder if he were on the island for a reason. It felt like he'd been tugged out of his world and placed here in order to meet these two.

He had no idea why, of course. Maybe they had something to do with the crystal. No clue.

He'd leave the thinking up to Ignis; that was his job.

...Now, if he could just find him and the others. He was getting too sleepy for this.

The two islanders continued to talk at him, but Noctis had checked out some time ago, his thoughts tiredly drifting from one matter to the next. They suddenly stopped talking when they heard someone shout out his name. It was much darker, but there was no mistaking who that voice belonged to. He turned in its direction and found Prompto jumping up and down, waving for the others to follow him.

“Looks like we stood around for so long that _they_ found _you_ ,” Riku said, laughing. “It was nice meeting you, Your Highness. See you again.”

With that, Riku took off on his own, expecting Sora to follow him.

Not quite ready to leave him yet, Sora floundered and flapped his hands anxiously in the air. “What he said, I guess! I'm sure we'll see each other again. And don't forget what I told you about that fruit, okay? See you, Noctis! Hope you enjoy the island!”

Without giving him a second to reply, Sora took off, running after Riku. As the two of them retreated into the descending darkness, Prompto and the two slackers arrived on the bridge. Prompto was grinning like he didn't have a care in the world despite being in a totally different world, and the other two... Didn't look so great. Noctis wanted to ask, but he had the feeling that it might be a long story. Gladio had sand in his hair, but Ignis was dripping wet and trying not to shiver. Whatever happened, Noctis was just glad to see them again.

“Where've you been?” he asked cheekily, unable to stop himself.

Ignis gave him that familiar glower.

 

Their magic worked even in this new world, so Ignis was able to quickly start a fire after Gladio and Prompto gathered together some dry driftwood from the beach. Apparently everyone appeared on the island separately and Noctis just had the poor luck of missing them when he went looking for them. Prompto arrived in a nice, grassy area, but the other two weren't quite as fortunate. Gladio landed face-first onto the sandy beach and Ignis arrived not far away from him, but had the worst luck of all, being thrown into the water. He came out soaked, his designer shoes filled with water, his leather jacket hopelessly drenched.

Once he had the fire going, Ignis hung his jacket and shirt over the tree and removed his shoes, coming to sit by the fire in just his damp pants. It was really strange to see him with his usually-spiky hair looking so limp, but no one dared to remark on it when he was looking so miserable.

“You can probably get some new clothes on the main island,” Noctis suggested, taking a seat next to him.

Ignis picked up his head. “Main island? Do you know where we are?”

“Nope, not at all,” he said, earning a groan from the others. “I only know that a main island exists because Sora and Riku told me about it. This is just some deserted island, I guess. All the people must live where those two came from.”

Prompto came over and sat on his other side. “Oh yeah, Noct, who were those kids you were talking to?”

“Locals? I don't know.” Resting back on his palms, he turned his gaze to the stars above them, remembering the light he saw inside Sora. He had been so tired and preoccupied when Riku arrived that he hadn't tried to see his. Usually, he didn't like to _try._ He didn't like seeing the flickering flame of a person's life. It usually just came to him whether he wanted to see it or not. Though Riku seemed a little unpleasant on the surface, Noctis figured that he had to be a good person if he were friends with Sora. Yeah. “There was something special about them...”

“'Special'?” Gladio asked, lazily reclining on his side in the sand on the other side of the campfire. It looked like he had finally gotten all of that sand out of his hair.

“I don't know,” Noctis said, troubled by his inability to pinpoint what it was that gave him that feeling. “It felt like there was something special about them – that one boy in particular. Sora...”

Ignis crossed his arms over his bare chest and thought. “...Before we do any investigating of our own, I think it'd be best if we found those two again and spoke with them. I trust your intuition, Highness. If you say there's something special about them, then they might be our ticket to leaving this place.”

In the meanwhile, they had the beach and this fire and the quiet, warm wind of the night. Ignis was already looking a lot drier and more comfortable despite his lack of a shirt. It was nice that they didn't have to worry about monsters in a place they were unfamiliar with, but Gladio was lamenting that they had no meat to enjoy. Prompto was looking equally disappointed, now curled up on his side with his hands on his growling stomach.

That reminded him...

“We can eat these fruits,” Noctis said, revealing the star-shaped fruit he had in his hand. He gestured toward the tree where Ignis's clothes were hanging. “That tree has a few more, so there should be enough for everyone.”

He turned to Ignis and handed it to him, looking at him expectantly.

Ignis stared back at him warily. “I don't have any of my cookware. What do you expect me to do with this?”

“Slice it,” Noctis said.

He hung his head and laughed. “That's a lot simpler than I was expecting. Yes, I can do that much, Highness. Unless one of you feels like fishing in the dark, this might be all we have. I'll cut a piece for everyone to try. Prompto, if you could get some leaves for us to use?”

Excited that they had food after all, Prompto shot up and climbed up the tree to get some leaves they could use as plates, tugging off a couple more fruits as well. They hadn't even tried the fruit to see if it tasted any good and he was already picking more. By the time he returned with them, Ignis had already finished peeling the fruit with one of his knives. It obviously wasn't his first choice of utensils, but he had no other choice at the moment.

Cut into quarters, each of them received a piece.

As he bit into his piece, Noctis realized that he hadn't told them about the paopu fruit's legend, but it felt too embarrassing to mention something like that now when everyone was already eating it. As he chewed it slowly, he carefully watched the expressions of his friends, unable to even focus on the taste of it as he anxiously waited for their reactions. He didn't know why, but he really wanted them to like it. Remembering what Sora said about its ability to bind their destinies, he felt something twist happily in his chest as smiles gradually appeared on his friends' faces.

“This is surprisingly good!” Gladio remarked. “You've got more over there, right? Don't hog it all to yourself, now.”

Prompto hummed happily. “He's right. This fruit isn't too bad. It's got a different taste, but it's sweet. Good find, Noct!”

Noctis turned to look at Ignis. He'd only taken one bite out of his piece, but he was smiling, gazing distantly into the campfire.

“Do you not like it?”

Snapping out of his reverie, Ignis looked up at him with an unguarded expression. A half-formed word made it to his lips, coming out as an awkward sound from his throat as he reconsidered what he wanted to say. Looking at the fire, his eyes turned soft as he ate what remained of the piece of fruit. Noctis continued to watch him curiously, wondering what it was he was thinking about.

The look on his face felt like something he could relate to, though. They were in a strange place, far, far from home, but they were laughing and having a good time together like nothing had changed. As long as they stayed together, it didn't matter where “home” was.

“I like it, too,” Noctis said.

Resting his arms over his bent knees, he looked into the glow of the campfire. He didn't want to see the light of his friends' souls. He didn't need to see it. What mattered was the warm glow of their hearts which glowed even more brightly than the fire. For as long as they were together, he was sure that it was a light that would remain strong.

A paopu fruit went whizzing past Noctis's face. Had he not leaned back at that exact moment, he was sure that he would've been beaned in the head by it.

Ignis wasn't as fortunate, getting a fruit to the face.

“Seconds!” Prompto cheered.

An electrified silence fell after Prompto realized that his fruit hadn't been caught so much as received by Ignis's face. It was bad enough that the cosmos decided to throw him into the water. Now Ignis was probably going to have to deal with a nice sore spot on his cheek. At least it missed his eye, but Prompto was the perpetrator here, so he wasn't going to get off the hook easily.

“That is not... how you ask for seconds...”

Ignis stood, clutching the fruit, an angry ball of fire surrounding his fist.

Well, at least Prompto was going to get to see how the fruit tasted after being flame-broiled. That is, if he didn't go up in flames first himself.

Gladio laughed heartily. “What an amazing, immature bunch.”

“You'd best be including yourself,” Ignis retorted. Even if he'd had a bad day, Ignis realized that he should react more calmly and sat back down. He was normally such a gentleman, so it was actually sort of refreshing to see him lose his temper. They all knew he wouldn't go too far, anyway. He began to cut the fruit for Prompto, but he pointed his knife toward him first. “This is the last one you're getting. No complaining.”

What a pointless order. Prompto immediately began whining.

Despite his temper, Ignis sliced the fruit cleanly and even cut it into thin, appealing slices and passed it back to Prompto on one of the wide leaves. His sweet-and-sour personality was really what made him so charming.

Their banter continued on into the night, illuminated by the dancing light of the fire.

There was no telling how long they were going to be stuck here, if they were really stuck at all. Rather than a roadblock, this trip to another world felt more like a detour or even a vacation from the terrible stress of their true quest. It was probably all connected.

It was just awfully nice to have a moment like this that reminded them of what they had.


End file.
